The Sozin Countdown
by Teddyyo
Summary: Starts out two weeks before Sozin's Comet.  An advanced ship and its crew from another world appears suddenly, and it seems to be just what the Gaang needs.  But, are they just as evil as the Fire Nation that the Gaang is trying to defeat?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: It's gonna switch POV several times here, but it should remain in one or two each chapter after the prologue.**

It is two weeks before Sozin's Comet.

It is Earth year 1958, and the battleship _Montana_ is out on patrol.

"Admiral." A messanger approached Admiral Buddy King, commander of the Pacific Fleet, the commanding officer. He is an intimidating figure at 6' 5", but with a lean build, and is only a few years behind Iroh. "We are approaching a storm. Shall we port for the day?"

"Nonsense. I want to see how the _Montana_ performs in rough seas, anyways." He is stereotypical of a cursing sailor; his voice is brash, but tells of experience. "Yes, sir."

As they approached the storm, the massive dreadnought glided through the waves like a hot knife through butter. _Just as designed,_ he thought with a smug grin.

A yell, barely audible, was heard over the storm.

"ROGUE WAVE!"

A towering wall of water suddenly appeared in front of the _Montana_, dwarfing it. Just as it sliced through the wave, the ship lurched to starboard, then corrected itself quickly, making the admiral lose his footing. _What the hell was that?_, he thought. Suddenly, the storm cleared, but the ship was plunged into darkness.

Lights flickered on throughout the ship as sailors realised daylight was gone. "_Navigator!_", the admiral called, "_Find out where the hell we are!_" "Yes, sir!", came the quick reply.

A half hour passed before the navigator returned. "Admiral! I cannot locate our ship." The admiral was quickly losing his patience. "_Then use the god-damned stars if you want to keep yours, MAJOR!"_, referring to the sailor's rank. "Sir...I...I _did_. None of our star maps matched anything in the sky. With all due respect, I do not think we can be found.

"Are you saying, ...that we aren't _on Earth_?", came an astounded, but trusting reply.

"Yes, sir, I believe so."

Ozai watched in the early morning as the megalithic storm appeared in a flash of light, then left as quickly as it came.

"Orders, sir?", came the questioning voice of one of his sleepy aides. Ozai replied, "Maintain course towards the airship base for preparations. Whatever happened, we can't stop now to investigate."

He would regret those words later.

"But," he added, "if we come into contact with anything, pursue it until contact is broken."

"Yes, sir.", the aide replied.

The entire Gaang was awoken by the flash. With only an hour until they planned to set off towards Ember Island anyways, they decided to take a detour and investigate.

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	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Admiral Buddy King is loosely based off of a WW2 era Admiral, and a relative of mine at a younger age, with the same last and first names respectively. **_**'Montana' **_**was chosen as the name because it is the only US state that never got a constructed battleship named after it.**

The ship had been steaming for several hours; daylight had broke. The admiral had decided to go straight until they made contact with something. "Radar's picking something up, Admiral...travelling at 60 miles per hour. Gotta be a heli.", the radarman announced. "Finally somebody else out here. Hail them; find out where we are.", the admiral replied in relief.

**~This is the USS **_**Montana**_**. Where the hell are we?~**

Aang flinched. "Guys, I just heard something from the Spirit World...but it made no sense." Sokka grew suspicious. "Should we _really_ be coming out here? Not only are we wasting time, but we have no idea what we might find. It could be anything. That's as much a reason as any to not go there." "Hey, guys..." Aang said quietly from Appa's neck, but was ignored. Katara glared at her brother. "Sokka, that's as much a reason as any _to_ go. There might be people that need our help." Suki nodded in agreement. Aang repeated himself, saying it a little louder. "Guys..." He was still ignored.

Sokka shrugged. "I just think we might run into something that we all will wish we never ran into."

Katara was fuming. "How can you be so inconsiderate, Sokka? Even if it turns out to be a Fire Nation ship, there could be prisoners that need our help. You never want to-" She was cut off by Toph, who promptly stood up. "QUIT ARGUING! NOTHING YOU SAY IS GOING TO CHANGE WHAT WE'RE DOING! NOW AANG HERE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY!" _Something set her off,_ Zuko thought to himself.

Aang sighed. "Thanks, Toph. ...Guys, I think we found the source of that flash." He pointed to the ship now in view.

Katara, Suki, and Zuko's eyes widened. Sokka's face fell. "See? Now look what we've gotten into. You guys NEVER listen to me!" He slouched forward, arms crossed. This was followed by a moment of anxious silence, which Zuko broke. "So...what's our plan for it.", he said, referencing the ship. Toph was confused. "Is anybody going to tell me what _it_ is, or am I just going to find out later?", she pouted. Suki replied, "It's a Fire Nation ship."

Zuko objected. "Now wait a second, that doesn't look like anything _i've _ever seen, much less a Fire Nation ship.", he pointed out.

Sokka grunted. "If you have any better idea for what it is, explain away."

Zuko shrugged. "I'm just saying... maybe it's pirates?"

"Those are some rich pirates, Zuko. Just look at the _size_ of that thing!", Sokka said.

Aang broke up the argument as they approached it further. "Well, whichever one it is, it's not friendly." Sokka was delegated the task of coming up with a plan. After a few minutes, he completed it, then announced it to the Gaang.

"All right guys, here's how we're gonna take down that thing. Katara, first, you're gonna freeze the bow and stern to keep the ship in place. Then we're gonna land Appa on the front deck and try to get to the bridge, from where we'll take the captain hostage. We'll improvise from there.", Sokka finished. The Gaang all nodded in agreement, then looked toward the ship and went into action.

They appraoched the stern first, and Katara froze the propellers, shafts, and rudder in place, stopping the ship. They then circled around and she froze the bow. Sokka gaver her an approving look. "Good work. Now let's set down on the deck." Appa set down next to a large, metal object with what looked like three unnecessarily long metal poles sticking out of it. The Gaang hopped into action, freezing, knocking with air blasts, and incapacitating sailors. Most didn't even fight back at first, and all of them looked surprised.

"These guys look nothing like other Fire Nation sailors," Suki pointed out, "infact these are the most strangely dressed people I have ever seen."

Wooden and metal devices were now being held by several sailors. One discharged, and the ground next to Sokka was hit by something travelling very quickly. The sailor spoke out. "Next one is through your heart! Now drop your weapons, all of you, and put your hands in the air if you want to live!"

Sokka, recognizing the lethality of the weapon and deciding death wasn't a very entertaining prospect, complied. Katara, holding up a water whip, looked at him questioningly. She then saw several sailors holding the devices point them at her. She dropped her water whip and complied. This recurred throughout the Gaang until they all surrendered. The two groups stood while a few sailors retrieved handcuffs.

Aang took the initiative, creating a 360o blast of air that knocked down all of the sailors, catching them off guard. They prepared to make their way to the bridge, but a finely-dressed man on the balcony caught their attention.

"I am Admiral King of the United States Navy, commander of her Pacific Fleet. Who in God's name are you?"

Bewildered by all the foreign words if nothing else, they were approached from behind and handcuffed, even to Toph's surprise. "I shoulda' seen that one coming...", she mumbled.

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	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: There is a good bit of POV changing this chapter, because it is long. Also, for future reference, heading means which way the object is on a compass, from 1 to 360 degrees.**

Admiral King sipped his tea as he looked at his passengers. "So, tell me your names.", he said as he motioned to the group. Katara spoke up first. "Katara of the Southern Water Tribe." King raised an eyebrow an was about to speak, but got cut off as the others continued. "Sokka." "Toph." "Suki." "Prince Zuko." (To which, King gave a questioning glare), and "Avatar Aang." Finally, King was given the chance to speak. He chose his words carefully.

"Avatar...that seems like an unusual first name to have."

Aang stumbled. "Well - no - my name is Aang - ...I am the Avatar." he finished with a hint of prestige. "The what?", replied King. Aang stumbled once again. "uh-...Avatar", he managed to say. King , confirming what he thought was said, continued. "Now son, what is that?" Aang was taken aback. "You - the Fire nation doesn't tell it's own admirals what the Avatar is?" Now it was King's turn to be bewildered. "The what- where- who-". He stopped himself, as he realised that the _Montana_ truly _had_ been transported onto another world.

"If we're gonna go through this," King stated, "then I'm gonna need another pot of tea."

About an hour passed as the Gaang explained the predicament of the world they inhabited to Admiral King.

"So let me get this straight.", King stated. "You're fighting a losing war against an imperialistic empire that uses ships as the linchpin of its power projection?" The Gaang nodded, after digesting the statement. King beamed. "Then the _Montana_ and her fine crew are at your service. We can fight this 'Nation of Fire' with our own fire."

King watched a flaming boulder, launched from the vanguard of an apparently large fleet, harmlessly land a few dozen yards from the _Montana_. "This ship is made to defeat any vessel created in the history of mankind." He shook his head. "They're firing _harpoons_ at us." He watched one of the said weapons bounce harmlessly off the belt of the _Montana_. Zuko gaped at the spectacle. The Fire Nation ship simply couldn't do anything to the behemoth he was aboard. "Helmsman,", King stated, "take us away. Flank speed." "Yes, sir! Advancing at 43 knots." The helmsman replied.

Ozai watched with frustration from his flagship. "_Why isn't anything working? And how the HELL do they move so quickly?_", he screamed at his aides. They all shrugged, none wanting to be singled out for his wrath.

"_Well, figure it out before I BURN YOU ALL TO A CRISP!_", Ozai finished, his face blood-red, and with smoke coming from his ears. The aides practically sprinted out without a word. Ozai spoke to himself. "I don't know what you've come up with now, _Avatar_, but it won't get in the way of my plans!"

The radarman spoke up a few hours after they escaped the fleet, if you can use that word to describe it. "Unidentified ship has been spotted, sir. 50 miles, at heading 355."

"Men." King began, realizing he had forgotten about the three females in the Gaang, and continued, "...and women. I believe it is time for us to introduce ourselves. Radarman, notify me when the ship is five miles out." He was given mostly confusing looks, but a smile from Zuko as he realised what King meant. Sokka was less optimistic.

"How would you even know there is something that far away? _Nobody else_ can see that thing.", Sokka said, "...if it's really there.", he added.

King retorted. "Son, there's this thing called 'Radar' that we have. It's a little ahead of your time." Unsatisfied, Sokka pursued. "But, that's impossible. How can you have something that sees _over the horizon?_" King would not let this go further. "Because we're smarter than you, and we _can_ make something that sees over the horizon! Now that's gonna be the end of this conversation.", he finished. Sokka quickly retreated back towards the rest of the Gaang.

A half-hour passed.

"Ship is 5 miles out, sir.", the radarman announced. "Thank you. Helmsman, set heading 265." "Yes, sir! Setting heading 265.", replied the helmsman. King added, "Oh, and halt engines when we reach said heading." "Yes, sir!", came the quick reply. Zuko spoke up. "Why are we stopping _five miles_ from the ship?", he asked. King shook his head. "Aye, aye, aye! Is there any end to you people's questions? Haven't you learned repeatedly it's better to just accept what I'm saying instead of asking and being confused?" Zuko shrugged.

"Sir! Ship is 3,000 yards out!", the radioman called. King nodded. "Good. Get the guns trained on the target.", he barked.

Katara spotted it first. "Over there!", she pointed, "...Fire Nation." The rest of the Gaang gathered by the window and watched the ship.

A huge explosion startled the Gaang, and most lost their footing. They looked around, but another, larger explosion off in the distance caught their attention. The Fire Nation ship they had been viewing moments ago erupted in a plume of smoke, fire, and debris. The Gaang was speechless after they witnessed the mass destruction.

King was jubilant. "HELL YEAH! That was a direct hit!"

This made Aang explode. "DO YOU REALISE HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU JUST KILLED?", he practically screamed at him.

King immediately lost his former ecstasy and stared coldly at Aang. "Son, this is war. People _die_. If we had not killed _them_, they would have killed _us_. Don't be naive."

Aang was not phased. "I don't care! I won't kill anybody no matter the circumstances! It is cowardly and selfish to kill instead of to forgive."

King almost laughed at the statement. "Well, how do you plan on stopping them? Tickle them until they cry 'Uncle'? Because that's not my plan. They've got to be stopped, and if you won't kill some of them to do it, then I will."

Aang would have none of it. "I REFUSE TO WORK WITH SOMEONE AS INCONSIDERATE AND WHO WILL BLINDLY KILL! YOU'RE JUST AS BAD AS THE _FIRE NATION!_", he screamed.

King looked down for a moment, then just shook his head. "Then you better haul ass off of this warship. You have overstayed your welcome on the _Montana_." He then turned his back on the Gaang and walked away.

Aang picked up his glider. "Come on, let's find Appa. We're getting away from these people."

Most of the Gaang was too frightened by the way Aang had tried to assert his beliefs to do anything except follow him, but Katara spoke up.

"Do you really think we should be leaving such a powerful ally behind? Sure, he might be a psychopathic ship captain from another world, but right now, he's _our_ psychopathic ship captain."

Her persuasion was not working, so Sokka chipped in. "Yeah. I mean, we don't want this technology falling into the Fire Nation's hands."

However, Aang was not to have his mind changed here. "We are leaving. I don't want to win this war the way the Fire Nation has started it."

And so, the Gaang took off the _Montana_, and proceeded to go to Ember Island.

"Admiral,", the helmsman asked, "what now?"

"Their cause is just. I believe we should try to make allies out of the Water Tribes the girl talked about, harass large Fire Nation bases with our range, and then try to aid the kids as much as possible on the day of Sozin's Comet. So set heading 30, flank speed. We only have two weeks, after all.", King spoke

"Yes, sir!", the helmsman replied.

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